The Best Fajitas in the World – And They’re Vegan!!

Several years ago, my uncle retired from ranching and took up catering for rodeos in Texas (I know – not the best narrative for a vegan recipe!) His recipe won awards and was even featured in the San Antonio Express News. During my meat-eating days, I prepared this recipe for folks in New York, Toronto, Seattle, and Chicago and every time, it garnered praises. Here's the original recipe if you want to refer to it. The secret is that the fajitas are grilled first, and THEN placed in a hot, spicy marinade from which they’re served; sort of “backward”. The result is that the fajitas emerge super-juicy and bursting with big bold flavors. Perfect for the veggies we love.

I’ve done some tinkering and I’m happy to give you these award-winning fajitas – veganized!

This will feed 8-10 hungry folks

First, prepare the hot marinade:

MARINADE (Secret Sauce)

1 cup water

½ cup organic sugar

½ cup cider vinegar

1 Tbs. Annie’s Worcester sauce

2 tsp Tabasco

2 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp liquid smoke (the original recipe called for bacon fat)

1 tsp dry mustard

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

Combine and simmer for 15 min. or while you grill the veggies. (Hint: You can easily make this the day before and refrigerate it. But don’t try freezing it for later use. It loses all its flavor. I’ve learned this the hard way.)

GRILLED VEGGIES (Use what veggies you like. Here’s what I use)

2 zucchini, sliced lengthwise

2 yellow squash, sliced lengthwise

2 red pepper, quartered

3 red onions, cut into six wedges, root left in

4 portabella mushrooms, sliced into thirds

6 jalapenos, left whole.

Slightly oil the veggies and grill on a really hot outdoor grill until well-charred. Slice into fajita-sized strips. (Remove the seeds and pith from the jalapenos) Pour hot marinade over veggies and set aside.

FILLING (couldn’t be easier)

1 12-oz vegan chorizo, removed from casing (I like Trader Joe’s)

1 14-oz can of refried beans (Again, TJ’s)

Combine and warm through.

GUACAMOLE

2 large ripe avocados

1 cup frozen corn, thawed (use raw corn if you have it – yum!)

1 tsp ground cumin

½ tsp salt

Smoosh everything together, except the corn, with a fork. Then fold in the corn.

ASSEMBLAGE:

Spread a spoonful of chorizo-bean filling on a large flour tortilla, top with grilled veggies, add guacamole and fresh cilantro.

Enjoy!!

Guacamole Compuesta

You know how it is at the end of an intense, difficult workday. Pretty much all you want to do is flop down, eat Capn' Crunch and bang on your high chair. I imagine even Julia had days when the thought of making a meal would send her over the edge. 

Here's my go-to meal for days like that. I call it guacamole compuesta, giving a nod to my south Texas heritage. (compuesta means "composed" or, in south Texas, "piled with extra stuff"). It's quick, easy, and the epitome of comfort food. 

Oh, and it's healthy, too. What's not to like?

Side note: My wonderful grandmother, Budgie, could not say "compuesta", or just about any word in Spanish for that matter. She loved the chalupas compuestas featured at the local Tex-Mex restaurant, but when ordering it, it would always come out "com-pray-sto." To this day, my family laughs about it.  

Brown the tortillas: One can do this by frying them in oil. Tasty, but fattening and who wants to fry anything on days like this. I like this method even better. Spray a couple of whole wheat tortillas with I Can't Believe It's Butter spray (you can pretend you're macing your boss) and bake them in a 400 oven for ten minutes or until brown.

Meanwhile. . . 

Guacamole: I love avocados, so I really don't like onions, cilantro, or lime juice getting in the way. I just mash two avocados with a quarter tsp of salt. That's it. If you have an ear of corn, better yet. Strip the kernels off and add them in raw. Wow. It really is an excellent addition. 

Spread the tortillas with the guac, smear with sour cream, add sliced grape tomatoes.

Easy-peasy.